Transforming lives by improving education around the world

Research report

Effective teaching

James Ko and Pamela Sammons, with Linda Bakkum

Teachers are one of the key elements in any school and effective teaching is one of the key propellers for school improvement - this review uses relevant literature to identify what makes an effective teacher.

Teacher effectiveness is generally referred to in terms of a focus on student outcomes and the teacher behaviours and classroom processes that promote better student outcomes. This report highlights key issues and findings about two related but distinctive topics: how to define a teacher’s effectiveness and what is known about effective teaching practices. It also seeks to identify the implications for policymakers in education and for improving classroom practice.

The review was carried out by researchers from the Hong Kong Institute of Education and Oxford University and was originally published in 2014.